Does Second-Home Ownership Trigger Migration in Later Life?

Abstract

As a result of the ongoing urbanization trend in many countries, most rural and peripheral areas are suffering from depopulation and out‐migration. Nevertheless, some rural areas are experiencing a net in‐flow of older migrants. One explanation mentioned is that people own second homes that are converted into permanent homes in later life. However, this description has rarely been tested empirically. Rather, it has been described as residual for migration into rural areas. Three hypotheses have been put forward in relation to second homes as a trigger for migration in later life. The first is that second‐home owners are less inclined to move but utilize their second home more as a substitute for permanent amenity migration. The second is that owners are more likely to move as they have the opportunity to move permanently to their second home, while the third is that second‐home owners would be more likely to downsize from their permanent home and make housing adjustments. This study attempts to answer the question if second‐home ownership triggers migration in later life and if it is a matter of housing adjustment or converting a second home into a permanent home. This is performed by analysing microdata covering all individuals in Sweden in the 55–70‐years age range in the 1999–2008 period. Results support the hypothesis that second‐home ownership triggers migration in later life and, by so doing, imply that a life course perspective is valuable for our understanding of migration in later life and that not only permanent migration but also experiences of temporary mobility are relevant for migration biographies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Seasonal residence and counterurbanization: the role of second homes in population redistribution in Finland

“…Many of the motives that explain migrations from urban to rural areas, such as escape from urban life, the appeal of natural environment, and willingness to own or build a home, are also identified as important motives for the ownership of second homes (Jaakson 1986;Kaltenborn 1998;Hall and Müller 2004). The development of second homes also raises similar issues of social and economic interactions as permanent migration and second home use sometimes leads to a permanent move into rural area (Williams and Hall 2000;Marjavaara and Lundholm 2014). In fact, some previous studies have treated second home ownership and seasonal residence as a manifestation of amenity migration (McCarthy 2008) or counterurbanization (Buller and Hoggart 1994).…”

Strategic Lifestyle Management in Later Life: Swedish Lifestyle Movers in Malta Seeking the ‘Best of Both Worlds’

“…A large flow of lifestyle movers are of retirement age (e.g. King et al ., ), suggesting that lifestyle‐led mobility patterns are related to lifecycle events (Marjavaara & Lundholm, ). Laslett () and Warnes () described a ‘new’ phase in the lifecycle among elderly in more affluent societies: the Third Age whereby, because of structural changes such as better pension systems and longer life expectancy, a more active ‘young‐old’ phase can be distinguished.…”

Establishing the routes to rural in‐migrant proprietorship in a Canadian tourism region: A mobilities perspective

“…Although originating in different sized settlements, the migrants we have described above have each established a new primary residence in their destination community. A mounting body of evidence suggests, however, that seasonal movers are an increasingly visible cohort in rural settings (e.g., Marjavaara & Lundholm, ; Müller & Marjavaara, ). Given their presence, scholars now recommend that temporary mobilities be included in the migration discourse (Adamiak, Pitkänen, & Lehtonen , ; Halfacree, ).…”